Joyce Meyer: “My Faith Will Raise the Dead and Yoga is Fine for Christians”

I remember when I first watched Joyce Meyer after some women at church recommended her. It’s hard to put into words, but I felt that something was wrong. I had no desire to watch or listen to her again.

Some will no doubt be angry at this article. That has never stopped me from telling the truth. If you are a Joyce Meyer fan, I would suggest that you take a step back, and look at all of the evidence against this woman. Then ask the Lord if this is a person He would want you to follow.

First of all, I want to say that I do not believe that the Bible supports women being pastors. When the attributes of church leaders are described in the Word, it is always referring to men. So, with that out of the way, I will continue about Ms. Meyer.

I was in Family Christian Bookstore today, waiting in line. The lady in front of me asked the cashier (manager) where the Joyce Meyer materials were. They struck up a conversation about their adoration of Meyer. Then I noticed that the manager lowered her voice while telling this customer a story about Meyer. I was still able to hear her as she spoke in a way that showed she was trying to keep the information somewhat private.

The manager said to the customer, “I know Joyce Meyer personally.” Then she put her hand beside her mouth, as one does when telling a secret, and said “Joyce Meyer took us all on vacation.” The customer was so impressed. I was so disgusted, and it was only God who held me back from saying what I thought of this whole discussion about Ms. Meyer.

I can only think that when she said “Took us all on vacation” it meant the managers of all of the Family Christian Bookstores – nationwide. This only served to confirm to me that Joyce Meyer is a business woman, with an empire worth many millions of dollars.

If you take the time to research Joyce Meyer, you will see that she is worth over $25 million. She lives in a house worth $2 million, and bought homes worth $2 million for each of her children. She owns a corporate jet worth $10 million. She recently purchased a $500,000 vacation home. She says that God made her rich. I say hogwash. She got rich off of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is wrong on so many levels.

On top of that, she teaches heresy. And THAT is what the rest of this article will be focused upon.

Jesus stopped being the Son of God: “He could have helped himself up until the point where he said I commend my spirit into your hands, at that point he could do nothing for himself anymore. He had become sin, he was no longer the Son of God. He was sin.”

Response: This is heresy. Jesus did not ever stop becoming the son of God. Essentially what she is saying is that Jesus stopped being divine, the eternal son, second person of the Trinity. This is an attack on the very nature of Christ and it is a dangerous false teaching. Joyce Meyer needs to repent and retract this statement. There is no place in Scripture that says Jesus stopped being the son of God. She’s adding to the word of God and placing in the hearts and minds of listeners false doctrine.

Jesus was born again: “The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again,”

Response: This is just plain wrong. Being born again means to be saved from the wrath of God for a person’s sins (Eph. 2:1-3), to have a new birth (John 3:3), and to be regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17). Mrs. Meyer is simply wrong biblically. Why does she teach this? It can only be because she has bought into many of the errors of the Positive Confession movement where it is sometimes said that Jesus lost his divine nature, went to hell, finished the atonement in hell, and was born again! This is a serious error since it implies that Jesus needed to be changed…

Jesus paid for our sins in hell: “He became our sacrifice and died on the cross. He did not stay dead. He was in the grave three days. During that time he entered hell, where you and I deserve to go (legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 35)

Response: This is blatantly wrong. Jesus did not pay the price of our redemption in hell. He paid the price on the cross. It was finished on the cross when he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Also, consider the following verses:

Col. 1:20, “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

Col. 2:14, “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way,having nailed it to the cross.”

1 Pet. 2:24, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Jesus went to hell in our place and was tormented: “Jesus paid on the cross and went to hell in my place. Then as God had promised, on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The scene in the spirit realm went something like this: God rose up from his throne and said to demon powers tormenting the sinless son of God, ‘let him go.’ Then the resurrection power of Almighty God went through hell and filled Jesus. On earth his grave where they had buried him was filled with light as the power of God filled his body. He was resurrected from the dead — the first born again man.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 36)

Response: Where does she get this completely fictitious dialogue between God and the demon powers? It is made up, not founded in scripture, and mistakenly assumes that Jesus went to hell, the place of torment and suffering after he died on the cross. The Bible does not teach any such thing. However, it does say that Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9). This can mean that Jesus was physically buried, or that Jesus went to Hades to inform those who had already died about who he was and what he did on the cross, or it can be referring to his incarnation as is contrasted with his ascending into heaven (Eph. 4:10). But there is simply no reason to believe that Jesus suffered in hell and finished the atonement there. See response to Quote 1.

If you don’t believe Jesus went to hell, you cannot be saved: “His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserve to go… There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth.” (The most important decision you’ll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 37)

Response: This is an amazingly bad statement on her part. She is saying that you cannot be saved from your sins unless you believe that Jesus went to the hell where we deserve to go. This is a modification of the gospel message that saves, as is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 that states it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Nowhere in scripture are we told to believe that Jesus suffered for us in hell or that he went there, where we deserve to go. This is very wrong and is heretical.

We are called little gods: “I was listening to a set of tapes by one man and he explained it like this..this kind of gets the point across…he said why do people have such a fit about God calling his creation, his creation, his man not his whole creation, but his man, little gods? If he’s God what’s he going to call them but the God kind? I mean if you as a human being have a baby you call it a human kind. If if [sic] cattle has another cattle they call it cattle kind. I mean what is God supposed to call ’em?Doesn’t the Bible say we are created in his image? Now you understand I am not saying you are god with a capital G. That is not the issue here so don’t go trying to stone me or yell blasphemy at me.” “The Bible says right here John 10:34…’and Jesus answered is it not written in your law I say we are gods.’ So men are called god’s by the law…”(Joyce Meyer).

Response: In this clip she goes on to quote John 10:34 where Jesus says to the Pharisees “you are gods,” which is a quote from Psalm 82:6, which is an imprecatory Psalm of condemnation for the unrighteous judges. Psalm 82:7says, nevertheless you will die like men. She then turned to Psalm 82 and went through it. The video stopped so I do not know what she would have said about the next, all important verse.

Joyce Meyer said she is not a sinner: “I am not poor. I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I were and if I still was then Jesus died in vain. I’m going to tell you something folks. I didn’t stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn’t a sinner anymore. And the religious world thinks that’s heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the Bible says that I am righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time.”

Response: Mrs. Meyer needs a lesson in basic Bible. 1 John 1:8says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Notice that John the apostle says “we.” He is including himself with sinners. Also, Paul said in Rom. 7:19-20,24, “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me…24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Is Joyce Meyer better in Christian character than John and Paul? I think not. Mrs. Meyer fails to recognize her own sinfulness, and so mistakenly denies her own sinfulness. I can only conclude that this false teaching comes from pride because it certainly isn’t biblical.

The host of hell were literally on Jesus and were laughing: “They were having the biggest party that had ever been had. They had my Jesus in the floor and they were standing on his back jumping up and down laughing. And he had become sin. Don’t you think that God was pacing, wanting to put a stop to what was going on? All the host of hell were upon him. Upon him. Up on him. The angels were in agony. All the creation is groaning. All the host of hell was upon him. Up on him. They got on him. They got him down in the floor and got on him and they were laughing and mocking. Ha ha ha ha. You trusted God and look where you ended up. You thought he’d save you and get you off that cross. He didn’t, ha ha ha.”

Response: Where did she get this – in the sacred Book of Joycemeyeronomy? It is certainly not in the Bible, and yet she has no problem teaching it as an authoritative truth. Does she not know that the Bible says not to exceed what is written (1 Cor. 4:6)? Yet, she has done exactly this. She is in grave error and has violated God’s word that says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and finished the atonement on the cross (John 19:30) – not in hell at the hands of demons! There is no way demons were literally standing ‘on’ Jesus. Meyer is in gross error!

Joyce Meyer gets revelation knowledge: “The Bible can’t even find any way to explain this. Not really that is why you have got to get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I am telling you. I have got to just trust God that he is putting it into your spirit like he put it into mine.”

Response: Revelation knowledge? Is she on par with the apostles who received revelation knowledge from God himself? Or how about the Old Testament prophets? Does she, like them, also receive revelation knowledge from God? If so, how would we know if it were true or not? The answer is simple: we test what she says against Scripture, and it is obvious that she is getting a lot of things from somewhere else that contradict the word of God.” source

Well, there you have it. If you are truly born again, then after reading the beliefs and teachings of Joyce Meyer, there is really only one thing for you to do. Repent of following this woman, and read the Bible!! In God’s Word is everything we need to know about Him and ourselves. Be like the people of the church in Berea:

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

And now Ms. Meyer is telling her millions of followers that her Faith will raise the dead!

The only thing more sickening than this Meyers overview is the thought of millions who follow. I won’t take the space to describe but I was in India just before her crusade debacle. Many opposed and rejected her pomp – I pray to God they will separate what they saw from the true saving Gospel!
Press on sister, good post!

Actually, it was not something that she “did”, it was the experience. While traveling thru India, I saw the celebrity adoration by many ‘Christian ministries’, beckoning people, many impoverished, to come. Sadly, this may have been their only interface with the Gospel. It hit me when I sat in a local library and read news periodicals. The locals, predominately Hindus, called people to stay away from her, that she was coming with her wealthy entronage, taking up hotel floors and expecting to be served wherever she went. Terrible representation of our Lord.

She certainly feeds off the sheep rather then feeding the sheep. As the shepherds of Israel were warned in days of old, this scripture bears application to today as well.

Ezekiel 34:1-5 (NASB)
1 Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?
3 “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.
4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.
5 “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered.

When I first saw Joyce Meyer on TV, years ago in Australia, I found her to be genuine in my opinion and helpful in life’s journey. But later on her appearance changed and she seemed to change and I now find her unconvincing and difficult to watch

I agree, that there is no scripture telling us that demons had their way with our Lord in hell, and if (as she say’s) the “Bible can’t even find any way to explain this” then even revelations can not do it, sense there would be no scripture to search, “whether those things were so” as the more noble of Berea did. But one thing is certain about Christ work on the cross, he ”was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 4:25, 5:1.
But, as far as being a sinner, Paul never addressed any of the churches he wrote to as “sinner’s” but rather “saints” and that over 55 times. When Paul spoke of his failing to do that which is good, he is agreeing with John that; “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us”(for all have sinned, Romans 3:23), but he ended up asking, “Who will set me free from the body of this death?” as you well shared, yet failed to show his answer; “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” It was Jesus who did set him free, as he said in Romans 5:8, “while we were yet (still) sinners, Christ died for us.” Indicating we ‘were’ sinners, but then something happened, Christ died for us, which changed everything. as “he was manifested to take away our sins” (1 John 3:5).
This change, of being in Christ, presents a whole new creature (Corinthians 5:17), in which such a one might now be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
Knowing Christ and abiding in him with this “divine nature”, enabling us to sin not, Is the greatness aspect of our faith! As this sets apart the “Children of God” from the “children of the devil”: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God. 1 John 3:10.
Can we sin? Yes, as John said; “If any man sin we have an advocate Christ Jesus our Lord” 1 John 2:1. If you say “when” something happens, you imply it definitely will happen, even if the precise timing is unknown. You use “if” when there’s uncertainty about whether the event will happen at all. This use of “if” here relates to , “How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Romans 6:2 and Paul’s admonition of, “let every one that names the name of Christ (called Christian) depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19.
Bottom line, though Myers may have said dumb things, I must contend that those that name the name of Christ, are not simultaneously sinner and saint, for “Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:6. Thanks

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-9). When we receive our glorified bodies, we will never have to worry about sin again. I am a sinner saved by Grace and yes I am one of His saints. But as Paul said in the Word – my flesh and my spirit war against one another.

Right, “my flesh and my spirit war against one another.”, but it is the one who walks in the Spirit, that does not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16), taking this high ground is to dominate over the flesh, and is (according to scripture) the one “abiding in him”, and sins not.
I was a sinner, but saved by grace, making me now a saint.

I also was a sinner, but I was saved by His glorious Grace. But I confess to God and to my brethren, that there are times when I feel that my thoughts or even my actions are not what God wants. It grieves me when it happens, but it it is times like that when I go before the Lord and confess the sin and His Word says that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. We all have different stories. I am from a Jewish family and have been shunned by almost all of them. I was also terribly mistreated as a young child. The thoughts which at times rise up in me about them are sometimes not godly. But that is sin in my heart. I ask for forgiveness and I begin to pray for those who persecute me. Sorry this is long, but felt that I had to explain why I say (like Paul) that my flesh wars against my spirit. BUT I AM a Saint in the eyes of the Father.

This is from gotquestions.org and let me make something very clear – it was brought to my attention that GQ has a bent toward Calvinism – I am NO Calvinist! But I believe that most of their teaching are sound and Biblical. I will not thrown out the baby with the bathwater. Please read this explanation about sinners from GQ:

I understand correctly that I have sin in me, I am not without sin. But I am not a sinner — I no longer sin.

The problem with “hell” is there are a few different words translated as hell with different meanings.

I use the word “hell” for the separation from the eternal Adam and Eve passed on to all mankind until the restoration of the new creation in Christ. I am referring to the first death, “as all die in Adam.

The moment I was born I died and went to hell — I was born into Adam’s death subject to environment slated to become a product of my culture sold into sin.

Thank our eternal uncreated intelligence/power/love father for Christ, HIS expressed image, who took on our separation and reconnected all. He was put into a deep sleep. His side was opened. Water and blood came out. His witnesses on earth by the spirit, water and blood. Just like Christ Jesus is the last/2nd Adam we are his new creation Eve, the new bride made in his blood.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1: 8-9).

I read Gotquestion article, and it is not far off from what I shared. They say; No one who continues to live in willful sin knows God. Because continual sin is incompatible with new life in Christ. They even quote a scripture I failed to supply, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God” 1 John 3:9. I merely brought this out through another scripture,”, but it is the one who walks in the Spirit, that does not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16) Where walking (keeping in step) in the Spirit represents Gods seed, that which is planted in a believer.
Yet you remain staunch on calling yourself a sinner, one who sins? “Christians should think of themselves in regard to their new natures, not their old. In other words we are saints who sometimes sin, not sinners who sometimes do right.” From; Saint or Sinner? Rethinking the Language of Our Christian Identity, by Michael J. Kruger.

““The moment I was born I died and went to hell?” Is this from the Word?”

If you read what I wrote I used hell in the context of dying in Adam. “as all died in Adam”. The moment I was born I was born into Adam’s death. 100% scriptural fact. I was quite clear about it. My original post gives more thorough an explanation.

It only takes the slightest discernment to see that she is a heretic. Of course the body lacks discernment these days. I would wager that at least 75% of all so called evangelical churches are apostate. Many once very good institutions are completely drowned in heresy.
This is why when the obvious false teachers such as Meyer come, the sheep can not discern wolf from a shepherd.

If they can not discern that much, then they most often can not discern the GOOD Shepherd either. Just listen to a group of these heretics. It always leaves you with that “Will the Real Jesus raise your hand” feeling.

Hey Geri, awesome job with your responses to comments, I agree with your conclusion, once we receive our glorified bodies, then our sanctification process is completed, and sin and sorrow is forever gone! Until then, we daily struggle, abide, pray, worship, have victory, have setbacks, wander in the desert, eat the pods with the pigs, restore fellowship with the Father, walk on the mountain, walk through the valley, see miracles, receive healing, and experience the filling of the Holy Spirit again and again. And yet our identity as believing Christians from day one is always as a son or daughter of the King, always clothed in the righteousness of Christ, having been made perfect and made holy by His one sacrifice once for all. He is a good, good Father.
God bless you!